Beauty

About a year ago, I discovered the magic of skincare. It was never something I thought much about, but once I began experimenting, I was hooked. What better way to feel (and look!) like a magical, glowy goddess than to indulge in a daily pamper session?

I’ve used a number of products in the past—both good and bad. But with my wedding a little over a month a way (Wait, what?!) I wanted to be extra kind to my skin. I’ve been using these products over the past several weeks, and my skin has never looked better. I know I can count on them to leave me looking my best for my big day.

Hi friends! Look who’s finally written their 2015 best of beauty post! It only took a bajillion years…

Asking me to pick my favorite makeup products is like asking me to pick a favorite child—it just can’t be done. I love all of them for different reasons. (Er…most of them, anyway.) That’s why, initially, I wasn’t going to write a 2015 favorites post. January is almost over, everyone else has done it, and I worried no one would want to read it. But then, one of my friends asked me to write it, and here I am. I’ve caved. Not all of these were 2015 discoveries, but I definitely used the heck out of all of them last year! I decided to save my skincare favorites for a future post—I’m long overdo for an updated skincare routine anyhow!

When you’re constantly testing out new makeup products like I am, you don’t use up very many of them. I definitely suffer from beauty ADD. I’ll love a product one minute, but the next time something shiny and new enters my collection, it often loses its luster.

That being said, it’s a big deal when I repurchase a makeup product. It means that 1) I’ve actually used it enough to go through it! That means that more often than not, I’m reaching for it over the other products in my makeup drawers. And 2) Despite the fact that I own other products that can do the job, I just can’t live without this item in my collection. These items are that good.

Every once in a while, there’s a brand that just gets everything right. Even if their product range isn’t expansive, it’s exceptional—a quality over quantity philosophy, if you will. That’s how I feel about the Bite Beauty brand.

Their collection isn’t large, in fact, they only make lip products. But they’re SO. GOOD. Every single one of them. Handmade, with simple ingredients, and stunning, saturated color, their products are well-worth their price tag. Their whole philosophy is that the ingredients used in a lipstick should be “good enough to eat,” and so they formulate all their products with food-grade, quality ingredients. (Not that I recommend eating your lipstick…) I’ve tried a handful of items from Bite, but I wanted to share two of my favorite products with you: their Luminous Crème Lipsticks and their Matte Crème Lip Crayons.

One of the great things about eyeshadow palettes is that there’s something out there for everyone. Whether you prefer subtle mattes or bold shimmers, classic neutrals or bold colors, there’s a palette to suit your needs. Personally, I prefer palettes that are predominantly neutral, with strategic pops of color. And while I usually opt for shimmery shades, I feel that a few basic matte shades are key for most eyeshadow looks.

A few years ago, a “Perfect Palette Tag” was circulating YouTube. Even though I don’t have a YouTube channel of my own, I thought that recreating the tag for my blog would be a fun way to share some of my favorite eyeshadow palettes with you!

As all beauty-junkies know, love can be a fickle thing. Favorites come and go, and products that were once, “the best thing ever!” sometimes lose their wow-factor when newer products come along. As someone who’s constantly testing new formulas, I have a pretty good sense of what I like and dislike, but every so often, that changes.

Here are a few of the items in my collection I’ve changed my mind about, for better or worse.